It's a slow day on the tech-news desk in the temporary Olympic capital of the world, London. But, with proper IT news being in short supply, more than one starving blogger has been forced to resort to writing a "my first pony" story about Hotmail, now that it's turning into Outlook.com.
We take you now to a newsroom not far away …

It wasn't a joke about rape, it was just an elaborate way of saying 15 years of age- ie, biologically old enough to procreate but not old enough for their consent to sexual intercourse to be considered legal in this country at this time; hence it is 'rape' by default. At no point did the article refer to the horrendous act of an individual forcing their will upon another that so rightly disgusted you.

In reality, those in authority - teachers, health workers and a fair few parents- accept that teenagers will be teenagers and so provide education and contraceptives to minimise the harm of what they see as being common. Highs and lows and mistakes and tears and elation are all a part of being a teenager.

In my unfortunately very limited experience in such matters, the 15 minutes include the disengagement of the bra strap, frantic attempts at the removal of the belt, the "did I put it on the right way around" meditation, as well as the post-coital "I need to say something cool now" deliberation. As to the 2 minutes 7 seconds, well, you, sir, are a stud among men.

You either

know some surprisingly young grandparents or everyone you know people has actually done the unusual and made "just say no" abstinence actually work.

I have friends whose children probably 'don't'' but I am sure that I have many more friends whose children probably 'do' and have been taught appropriate behaviour. We can only say "probably" in both cases because teenagers appreciate some privacy, even when they 'don't'.

Re: ...and then posted a comment.

Optional

I would have considered appallngly poor parenting had my daughter not been completely aware of the prevention available to her as a teenager (before he was 15 in fact). I have no idea when her "debut" was, but I know with a very high level of certainty that she will have done it were her eyes wide open. Then again, I am not an prude, nor do I live in a society that attempts to hide the biological reality behind religious crap and or self righteous "think of the children" bullshit.

Teenagers get horny, they can't help it, and they do what they do. Our job as parents is to ensure that they do so with the best possible understanding of what is going on.

remove statutory rape jokes...

...and you'd destroy a huge swath of modern humor, along with at least half the rock'n'roll and blues songs ever written.

Good thing that, say, Groucho Marx isn't still around to hear people bitching about underage sex jokes. In one of the Marx Brothers' movies, Groucho's character was named S. Quentin Quayle -- a play on the expression "San Quentin Quail", a regional slang term for promiscuous underage girls.

Health Workers minimise harm?

"those in authority - teachers, health workers and a fair few parents- accept that teenagers will be teenagers and so provide education and contraceptives to minimise the harm of what they see as being common"

They may be physically capable of sexual intercourse but that don't mean they are mature enough to make such decisions, but then again, neither are most of their parents. link.

re: "Can't say i know many parents who provide 'contraceptives' to their 15 year old children"

Then you'd be moving in weird religious circles who believe that self-delusion is more important than sexual health and life chances in general?

Teenagers want to have sex- we're almost advanced enough as a society to admit this to ourselves now, and no amount of sanctimonious neo_Victorian twaddle will stop them. Taking that as a given, preventing spread of nasties (chlamydia is surprisingly prevalent amongst teens and young adults, for example) and teenage pregnancy, and teaching responsible attitudes to contraception seems like the only pragmatic and mature response.

Sticking your fingers in your ears and going "la la la, I can't hear you" puts you on a similar rung of the evolutionary ladder to George W. Bush.

Try and remember what it was like being a teenager, and how you were a seething mass of confusion and desire. Unless you're completely dead inside, or an utter hypocrite, it shouldn't be easy to understand.

(Yeah, I am an old git, but I still remember how it felt, and to be honest, haven't really got over it- it makes for a happier life. The difference now is that I don't want to do anything with a pulse, and just prize my partner as the utterly brilliant being she is, which is progress, I suppose)

I use Hotmail

Re: My bride uses hotmail...

As her one and only e-mail account. No, really.

Actually there's a lot of people who got a Hotmail account so they could sign in to MSN Messenger * and kinda stuck to it, even long after instant messaging lost its cool. So I guess tying services together really does work?

* I know, you don't really need a Hotmail account to get to Messenger, but MS does everything it can to make it look like you do.

Hotmail's children

Hotmail has been my spam-hole since 1998 and very good it has been. I was early enough to have my own name, number-free @hotmail.com - ironically I have occasionally encountered jealousy from people who have to append long numbers to the user name they really wanted.

I'm sure I had a Hotmail address once...

Hmm,

I too have used hotmail since day 1. I use it as my primary email address and and have never had any issues with it.

Frankly, i hope thay dont piss around with it. It stores my reg codes, some rare and difficult to find programs so they are always available to me. Sort of like livedrive or "the cloud" but better IMHO.

Cuts both ways.

Use of Hotmail: to avoid spam from a website

Reason the website asked: to avoid spam from you*

Given how easily bots can sign-up to hotmail, yahoo, mailinator etc, many such websites now ban new entries using an email from the main "disposable" email sites, as it defeats their purpose for asking in the first place.

*OK, some of them do just sell on your details - but not all. An email address really isn't worth much.

"Well, it's 15 years old, so Hotmail could totally procreate."

Re: "Well, it's 15 years old, so Hotmail could totally procreate."

Anywhere. Most 15 year olds are quite capable of procreation (heck, I was a late developer but pretty sure I was). How the law views such matters is mentioned in the article, if you bothered to read it?

Re: "Where are you that fifteen year olds can "do it"?"

Re: "Well, it's 15 years old, so Hotmail could totally procreate."

Legal in Portugal.

14 for the laydeez here.

Which produces some amusement when friends bring their children out.

Sure, every father is happy enough to see his 14, 15 year old daughter flirting a bit around the pool table in the local taverna while parentals get a couple of beers before dinner down their necks. What will come of it after all?

The later pointing out that the locals really mean it all often leads to wine being spat over dinner.....